Civilian doc after military committment?

nutritionfirst · Apr 8, 2010

Can anyone provide any information if they have done or have any knowledge of anyone who had the military (specifically: army) pay for medical school, then they went on to residency (civilian or military) and then served their 4 year commitment (assuming 4 years of school paid for) and then went on to work as a doc at a civilian hospital or clinic?

I ask this because signing up to have the army cover tuition may be my only way to pay for med school, and the military itself has always sparked some interest in me, but I see myself being a lot happier as a civilian doctor (not salary wise, but environment wise)

Thanks

DocArmy · Apr 8, 2010

If you already know that you'll be an unhappy military doctor, then why are you signing up? Makes no sense to handicap yourself from the jump. People who are truly excited to be in the military come out of it after their 8 years of AD and never want to go back. (I say 8, because it is highly unlikely that you will be one of the small # getting a civilian deferment for residency. Those spots are few and far between, despite whatever your recruiter has told you.)

Money ain't everything. You're going to be upset if that's your only reason for joining.

And, to answer your first question, REALLY?!?! REALLY? It's not like military medicine gives you a military only residency and then when you leave you go back to the MCAT and start over. You will be a real life doctor, with a degree and a license and everything. The military residencies are ACGME accredited. So, when you're all done being in the military, you can go and be a doctor in the civilian world. I'm pretty sure that at least a dozen or so docs do this every year.

Civilian doc after military committment?

nutritionfirst

Full Member

DocArmy

Roustabout

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